Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT Forum
-
- Posts: 384
- Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:44 am
Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
So who else is shooting for a Feb retake? I have finals in Dec so I didn't even consider a retake for that date. I figure I devote my 3 weeks of winter break towards LSAT prep, with about a month of bleed-over into Winter quarter, which starts Jan 5th or something, and then test early Feb.
I assume that's what you guys are doing? Man, I wish I had semester system or a 4/2/4 schedule or something, where i could spend 2 entire months doing prep.
How do you guys plan on prepping?
I plan on buying the first book of 10, then PTs 29-38 book of 10, and doing all the games, and then all the LRs, RC passages. Then, for the last month of prep, which will be taking place while school is in session, I plan on redoing PTs 43-61(62???) at a rate of about 3-4 a week.
Good?
I assume that's what you guys are doing? Man, I wish I had semester system or a 4/2/4 schedule or something, where i could spend 2 entire months doing prep.
How do you guys plan on prepping?
I plan on buying the first book of 10, then PTs 29-38 book of 10, and doing all the games, and then all the LRs, RC passages. Then, for the last month of prep, which will be taking place while school is in session, I plan on redoing PTs 43-61(62???) at a rate of about 3-4 a week.
Good?
- AverageTutoring
- Posts: 297
- Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:18 pm
Re: Feb Retakers from Oct 9th LSAT administration
I want to re-take in Febuary but since I'm not applying this cycle, it really makes no sense for me to rush. I'm fairly confident that I will re-take in June instead. But I might join you guys! So I thought i'd postJesusChrist wrote:So who else is shooting for a Feb retake? I have finals in Dec so I didn't even consider a retake for that date. I figure I devote my 3 weeks of winter break towards LSAT prep, with about a month of bleed-over into Winter quarter, which starts Jan 5th or something, and then test early Feb.
I assume that's what you guys are doing? Man, I wish I had semester system or a 4/2/4 schedule or something, where i could spend 2 entire months doing prep.
How do you guys plan on prepping?
I plan on buying the first book of 10, then PTs 29-38 book of 10, and doing all the games, and then all the LRs, RC passages. Then, for the last month of prep, which will be taking place while school is in session, I plan on redoing PTs 43-61(62???) at a rate of about 3-4 a week.
Good?
I plan on taking PT 61 to compare with what I got on game day...so i'm not looking at the exam nor the answers! Then for about a month take 3 PTs a week of the most recent ones. I mean, with a strong foundation it just comes down to not fucking it up...so a little bit of practice for a couple weeks and we should be good. If we over study, I think we have a greater chance of doing worse.
-
- Posts: 384
- Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:44 am
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
June tests don't conflict with your finals either? Is that semester system? Finals in May or something right?
- AverageTutoring
- Posts: 297
- Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:18 pm
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
School runs from September to April. Gives me the tail end of April, and all of May to study (in addition to full time work of course, but even still, that's better then school + LSAT). Febuary conflicts with mid-terms and it's undiscosed...I don't know if I could handel that.JesusChrist wrote:June tests don't conflict with your finals either? Is that semester system? Finals in May or something right?
-
- Posts: 384
- Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:44 am
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
By the way, good point about over studying when we already have a decent foundation to work on. I want to save PT 61 for when I am doing full PTs again.AverageTutoring wrote:School runs from September to April. Gives me the tail end of April, and all of May to study (in addition to full time work of course, but even still, that's better then school + LSAT). Febuary conflicts with mid-terms and it's undiscosed...I don't know if I could handel that.JesusChrist wrote:June tests don't conflict with your finals either? Is that semester system? Finals in May or something right?
That's pretty nice. I had to work full time during the summer prep too, so winter break prep might actually be the most free I'll ever be.
What do you mean its undisclosed? You mean we don't get PDFs?
Want to continue reading?
Register now to search topics and post comments!
Absolutely FREE!
Already a member? Login
-
- Posts: 1564
- Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2009 7:41 pm
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
Might take Feb.
I'd have to get a 4th take approved etc.
Right now just worrying about apps and will worry abt the Feb take after Nov..
Good luck to you all though.
I'd have to get a 4th take approved etc.
Right now just worrying about apps and will worry abt the Feb take after Nov..
Good luck to you all though.
- AverageTutoring
- Posts: 297
- Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:18 pm
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
Yeah, we don't get the curve or the test back. We don't even get to know how we did on individual sections! All you get back is your scaled score and your percentile.JesusChrist wrote:By the way, good point about over studying when we already have a decent foundation to work on. I want to save PT 61 for when I am doing full PTs again.AverageTutoring wrote:School runs from September to April. Gives me the tail end of April, and all of May to study (in addition to full time work of course, but even still, that's better then school + LSAT). Febuary conflicts with mid-terms and it's undiscosed...I don't know if I could handel that.JesusChrist wrote:June tests don't conflict with your finals either? Is that semester system? Finals in May or something right?
That's pretty nice. I had to work full time during the summer prep too, so winter break prep might actually be the most free I'll ever be.
What do you mean its undisclosed? You mean we don't get PDFs?
I still may take Febuary, I have not decided.
-
- Posts: 2525
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:12 am
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
I'm taking Feb. Hopefully I can A. not get rejected by my target schools and B. score a couple points higher and get off said waitlists, or score so high that I apply next cycle to diff schools...
-
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2010 2:12 pm
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
Got ridiculously lower than my average pt's so Ill be taking in Feb as well. quitting my job to study and prep for it from early december till then. hopefully Ill be able to still apply just late to some of the FL schools. Good luck to everyone
- AreJay711
- Posts: 3406
- Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 8:51 pm
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
I am too. So I had LG last section -- only 4 wrong on the whole test up to number 12 on LG -- then crashes and burned with -9 on the section, -13 overall. I'm just retaking incase I knock out a 174+ and just apply in the top 6 next year.
On the bright side, Michigan was my favorite school but I didn't know if I'd be able to turn down a top 6 -- no longer an issue, ED to Michigan
On the bright side, Michigan was my favorite school but I didn't know if I'd be able to turn down a top 6 -- no longer an issue, ED to Michigan
Last edited by AreJay711 on Sat Oct 30, 2010 4:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- applepiecrust
- Posts: 476
- Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2010 11:38 am
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
I am re-taking in February as well. Taking it at my undergrad where I have obviously taken dozens of exams so that should help nerves.
I am going to also work on readjusting my sleep schedule better and not screwing up, and just do PTs at the rate of about 2 per week with STRICT timing (esp. with the breaks and after sections) + "experimental" sections.
I think I will also take up running and meditation in the meanwhile to deal with my anxiety issues.
Other tips for studying for retake? (Current score: 168; PT average: 174).
I am going to also work on readjusting my sleep schedule better and not screwing up, and just do PTs at the rate of about 2 per week with STRICT timing (esp. with the breaks and after sections) + "experimental" sections.
I think I will also take up running and meditation in the meanwhile to deal with my anxiety issues.
Other tips for studying for retake? (Current score: 168; PT average: 174).
- Lasers
- Posts: 1579
- Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 6:46 pm
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
will the february score come out in time to apply this cycle?
i don't think i can prep enough with finals and only one month before december.
i don't think i can prep enough with finals and only one month before december.
- Blumpbeef
- Posts: 3814
- Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 3:17 pm
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
Sandro777 wrote:I'm taking Feb. Hopefully I can A. not get rejected by my target schools and B. score a couple points higher and get off said waitlists, or score so high that I apply next cycle to diff schools...
This looks like what my plan is as well, but im afraid of getting an instaject from Cornell.
Register now!
Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.
It's still FREE!
Already a member? Login
- fastforward
- Posts: 181
- Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:31 pm
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
Hey JC -- I posted this elsewhere but it bears repeating here. The first step in a retake plan absolutely must be a clear-eyed look at what didn't work last time. Here's a cut-and paste of my perennial post-score-release-post Hope this helps.JesusChrist wrote: How do you guys plan on prepping?
I'm an LSAT tutor. Below is what I posted after the June test. I truly hope that each of you who didn't do what you know was your best find a way to figure out what you need to do differently next time. Feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to talk it out with you. Take care.
Many of you mention that you hit well below your PT's. This is a certain indicator of the need for stress management. You should prepare for this aspect of the test with as much diligence as you devote to the test content. One stress management technique, developed as a treatment for anxiety but now popular with world-class athletes, is Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or PMR. Once mastered, it's a powerful tool for leveling your energy and freeing your brain to do its best. You'll find many free downloads of PMR programs if you Google the term. My favorite collection of PMR -- and other relaxation/breathing techniques for de-stressing -- is here:
--LinkRemoved-- ... elax07.htm
Regular practice of deep breathing techniques, combined with PMR, produces an automatic, muscle-memory response to relax at the onset of anxiety. The result is vastly improved clarity of thought, better sleep patterns, and a general sense of confidence and well-being. But it's an acquired skill, so it's best to begin at once.
Some of you tanked on the fifth section. This probably indicates an endurance problem. Consider working many five-and six-section PT's, especially in the month before Game Day. They can be enough to make you gag, but I guarantee they do improve your mental toughness. If you don't feel you'll apply yourself if you know which are the "experimental sections" (which you put together from the older PT's), have a friend do a little cut-and-paste graphics job and put them together for you. It's a bit of a pain but worth it if you need that crutch. Cambridge LSAT has put together some 5-Section tests, and you can purchase them in pdf files (yes, they ARE legal and the publisher IS an LSAC licensee) instantly for download
http://www.cambridgelsat.com/product/ls ... section/18
Those who were hit by RC have mentioned reading this summer, especially complex materials such as The Economist. That's a great idea as far as it goes, but you also should commit to routinely tackling actual RC sections. This is so for at least two reasons: The most sophisticated periodicals out there are no match for those garbled RC passages. Try underlining the subject and predicate of the more complex sentences as you read; a favorite trick of lsac is to entwine these two components in a morass of subordinate clauses and prepositional phrases. Thus the next reason for faithfully tackling RC PT's: It's the only way you'll develop an intuitive sense of what the test-takers expect. That's why RC is the most challenging for tutors; it can be difficult to discern a pattern of weakness.
For LR, a great free resource is the podcast series, Logic in Everyday Life: http://www.princetonreview.com/lsat-logic.aspx
Each podcast takes an example of argumentation from a TV ad or a political speech and analyzes it in terms of LR. Please don't mistake my recommending something published by Princeton Review as any enthusiasm by me for that company (but to each his own of course; apologies to Admin Ken). Each 'cast is just a few minutes long and, if you listen daily, you will see your LR mindset improve.
As for LG: Know your conditional statements cold. You may think you already do, but you CAN improve. I'm convinced that one reason (of several) the dreaded dinosaur game from PT 57 threw so many test-takers is the phrasing of the conditional rules. Go through your LG's and note the phrasing of each conditional statement. You may want to make flash cards. I'm working on a set and I'll post a template when they're complete. Improving your recognition of the correct form of any conditional statement will improve both accuracy and speed on LG's. Of course, you must also practice, practice, practice. If a certain game type gives you trouble, consider getting a set of that type. Cambridge has them in sets for a very good price: http://www.cambridgelsat.com/product/ls ... c_games/23
I have a bias against classes, but I feel that they make especially little sense for the re-taker. You already know the basics. Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result. What this means for some of you is that just drilling through the PT's may not be the answer either. Re-takers need to "study smart." You each will need something different. I would suggest, as a first step, analyzing each missed question by type (e.g. LR Most Strongly Supported, RC Main Point, etc.). Do this on your actual test, and on your old PT's if you still have them. If you have trouble identifying your weaknesses, a tutor can be a valuable tool. There are many of us out there; be sure you can visit with one to see whether you will be compatible as to learning/teaching style AND your individual needs BEFORE you are required to pay for a session. The right tutor, the best teaching tools (PowerScore Bibles IMO), and of course plenty of actual LSAT PT sections, and timed PT's can be the most effective -- and cost-effective prep.
The point is: You have to figure out exactly what went wrong last time and change it up accordingly. The retake process actually can be quite satisfying if you view it as an opportunity to complete a work in progress.
My very best to you all.
-
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2010 9:58 pm
Re: Oct 9th, 2010 Retakers aiming for Feb LSAT
Thanks for the advice fastforward.
I'm thinking about retaking in either February or June and applying next cycle. All depending on how I feel I'm doing in the next month and a half or so. But I think that if you're taking the Feb retake to apply this cycle, that this wouldn't be a smart move. Just study smart in the next few months and study all of your mistakes meticulously. We've all taken the actual thing now and know exactly how everything works in the real situation. If we focus and study smart, then I'm sure there's no reason that none of us cannot hit what we were averaging in our practice tests. And possibly more. I was consistently averaging low to mid 160's for a month before the test and ended up with a freaking 149. I made so many stupid mistakes, its ridiculous. By studying these mistakes and focusing more on actual LSATs from the past, I think that we're all be thanking ourselves a four or so months down the road....I just realized how folksy this rant is. Sorry, but I definitely think we all can score extremely well come next time. We should start some sort of support group for people us in this situation. Just a thought.
I'm thinking about retaking in either February or June and applying next cycle. All depending on how I feel I'm doing in the next month and a half or so. But I think that if you're taking the Feb retake to apply this cycle, that this wouldn't be a smart move. Just study smart in the next few months and study all of your mistakes meticulously. We've all taken the actual thing now and know exactly how everything works in the real situation. If we focus and study smart, then I'm sure there's no reason that none of us cannot hit what we were averaging in our practice tests. And possibly more. I was consistently averaging low to mid 160's for a month before the test and ended up with a freaking 149. I made so many stupid mistakes, its ridiculous. By studying these mistakes and focusing more on actual LSATs from the past, I think that we're all be thanking ourselves a four or so months down the road....I just realized how folksy this rant is. Sorry, but I definitely think we all can score extremely well come next time. We should start some sort of support group for people us in this situation. Just a thought.
Get unlimited access to all forums and topics
Register now!
I'm pretty sure I told you it's FREE...
Already a member? Login